So here's a story all about how our lives got flipped turned upside down, it'll only take a minute just read down there I'll tell how I came to marry the vicar from downstairs,

TLDR: I was renting the apartment above my church's student center and Andrew was the Vicar who moved in below me. One thing led to another we became friends, spent almost every day hanging out, fell in love wanted to get married, and here we are you are caught up.

Mushy version:

- Wee vicar and familial threats

So to start out both of us had decided to be forever alone this year Rachel was starting her master's and had chosen to focus on her career and hobbies. Andrew had given up on finding a girlfriend and decided to focus his life on ministry. As always God has a wicked sense of humor. Rachel saw Andrew first from his vicar call acceptance letter and at this point started calling him the wee vicar, as he looked small and baby-faced to her. Andrew was aware that a female member named Rachel would be living above him.

Fastward to Andrew's installation Sunday, Rachel realized that she made a grave error when a 6ft 4 in 280 lbs vicar Andrew (arriving late he added over my shoulder) walked in, and all she could think while staring wide-eyed was that was certainly not a wee vicar!

Andrew finally put a face to the name Rachel after church. When her father walked up to Andrew shook his hand, warmly said welcome, chuckled, then growled "That's my daughter Rachel. Don't get any ideas".

At first, it was awkward, to say the least Rachel kept pretty much out of sight and only really texted to ask if the shared laundry room was available. Andrew was busy settling into Vicar life and his new place.

Part of that awkwardness was in part due to an error made by Rachel early on in August. In order to welcome the wee vicar she had made a lovely apple pie with a letter of introduction. She dropped off the pie on her way to work on the day Andrew moved in below. However, she forgot to drop off the letter as well. So upon arriving Andrew found a random pie on his kitchen counter and began trying to figure out this edible mystery.

Rachel at this point realized she was being overly awkward and sought to befriend the vicar, yet she didn't know how. An opportunity arose when she was bottling her summer mead, it was her best batch at the time ( at the time of writing this my winter batch is fermenting *fingers crossed*). Well her exuberance overwrote her social norms and without another to celebrate she texted the vicar to come try a glass. One thing led to another, the conversation flowed easily, and they ended up installing a new dehumidifier together. (not overly romantic I know but that is what happened)

So they started hanging out together on Weekends after work they texted often, shared jokes, and were generally great friends. The completely oblivious fools! Weeks later after MLC homecoming they finally realized that there may be something here. So like every sensible adult who finds out they have feelings the two of them panicked.

Is a vicar even allowed to date a member of the congregation? I mean this is simply not done, neither one of them had even heard of such a thing occurring. It probably was forbidden, or at the very least frowned upon. So they steeled themselves to bury their feelings and went to talk to the pastor in charge.

He laughed at them.

For apparently what was a surprise to them had been long noted by himself and his wife. He gave his blessing to them dating and they later found out that it's actually quite common.

So they started dating and didn't stop dating, then Andrew waited till his last day in Brookings to finally ask her and the rest is history.

Children's museum of South Dakota

Brookings Summer Arts Festival